Note: This story contains spoilers from “The Rookie” Season 7, Episode 6.
“The Rookie’s” fan-favorite couple, Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford (aka, Chenford as viewers have passionately dubbed them), took a big step when they hooked up, against their better judgement, after a charity gala. But was it a step forward? A step back? According to star Melissa O’Neil, neither.
“I see this as neither a step forward or a step back. It’s like a sideways step. It’s a parallel move. It’s not advancing their relationship. It’s not advancing her career in any way,” O’Neil told TheWrap during a call to discuss the much-anticipated Valentine’s Day episode, “The Gala.”
The sixth episode of Season 7 partnered up Chen and Bradford for a new police initiative inviting spurned exes to turn in their law-breaking former loved ones — a potentially spicy assignment for the exes who broke up and broke fans’ hearts last season — but it was after their shift when things really started to heat up. All dolled up for the Gala, the duo unexpectedly headed up to a hotel room together after a dust-up with a drunk attendee left Bradford bleeding. It didn’t take long for their old intimacy to come roaring back and the two spent the night together — only for Lucy to try to sneak out the next morning, later proclaiming that she doesn’t regret it, but it can’t happen again.
Speaking with TheWrap, O’Neil unpacked Lucy’s big Episode 6 hookup, including why she had to make peace with the latest development in the duo’s long romantic journey, what she thinks Lucy wanted to say before the door shut on her, and if she believes Lucy’s cavalier line about “old fashioned Valentine’s Day ex sex” — and her insistence that it can never happen again.
TheWrap: I think there’s going to be a lot of excitement around this episode because it’s a real dose of sexy Chenford, but I see mess! Do you see this as a step forward or backward for a real reconciliation between Lucy and Tim?
O’Neil: I see this as neither step forward or a step back. It’s like a sideways step. It’s a parallel move. It’s not advancing their relationship. It’s not advancing her career in any way. I think as far as their relationship goes, there’s a lot that’s unsaid between them. So much so that I think there were questions about it as an actor looking at the script.
However, what I do like about it is the humanity in this story. I think that it speaks to the strength of that emotion, that force, you know? Because she kind of casually, flippantly calls it “ex sex,” but it’s a procreative life force. This is a very powerful thing. This is literally why people are here and when you’re with the person that your body really wants to do that with, sometimes it is it’s irrepressible. You cannot help yourself. So, as much as Lucy is someone who is very career-focused, and principled and really wants to make sure she’s doing everything in the right way, I kind of loved – later, when I made peace with it – I kind of loved that his proximity to her … I think maybe what was also so sexy about that moment is that they both are saying no, and then they can’t help themselves. They’re like, gone. “Come on, don’t do this. I can’t help it.”
So, yeah, I think, I think it’s a full spectrum moment, and I’m excited for the fans to receive it in that type of imperfection. Because I think people are going to feel that way too. I think a lot of people are going to be like, “Hold on a minute. This is not … This doesn’t … Oh, God, it was so great though.” So I appreciate it for that.
What did you have to make peace with?
As a protective person over this character that I’ve spent seven years with, I think there was a real part of me that was like, “Wait a minute. He said… Didn’t Bradford say that he was gonna … we haven’t done any … Did it happen already? You know, did it happen off screen?”
I had all these questions, so I think that was an important thing for me as an actor to remember, first of all, that I’m just a color that the writers are using to make their art with. We collaborate a lot, and they’re very open to dialoguing and helping me understand what the vision is. But I did feel that I had to let go a little bit, because I was like, “I have a strong opinion about this. Okay, all right, let’s just do it, and let’s see how it goes.” And as I reflect on it, I actually see the beauty in it, and I love the humanity in it. I think it’s it’s really sweet to round out Lucy in this way and make her imperfectly relatable.
Until last season, these two had built a bedrock of communication, but in this case, Lucy tried to sneak out and ultimately left with a lot unsaid. We do see her turn back around like she had something to say so — what do you think Lucy wanted to say to Tim before the door stopped her?
OK, so I don’t know what they used in the cut, and I will say that we played it a few different ways. I thought about that moment and that exchange, when he woke up before she left. It bothered me, like a lot. So much so that I reached out to the director, and I was like, “What did we do in the cut? Is it gonna be OK? Do we need to reshoot it?”
Because I don’t think that she loved that he just went along with it! If I remember correctly, I don’t think that she was stoked about the fact that he’s like, “Yeah, boom.” They both have that underpinning of, like … “There’s so much I want to say to you. Do you want to talk first? Oh, you’re not going to talk first. Yeah, totally, I’m good too. Yeah, no problem.”
I don’t think that she liked that.
You guys shared another elevator scene, and I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between the scene we had at the end of Season 6, where she’s really pulled back in the frame. How did you guys use blocking to communicate the change in your dynamic?
I don’t remember, but I will say the blocking of the previous scene that you’re talking about, I was very strongly wanting to do that like. I was like, “I want to be able to watch him without him being able to look at me. I want to be all the way back here, and I want to watch him with what he’s going through even if I’m looking at the back of his head.”
So I don’t remember the blocking of the [new] scene. But I do remember the banter, and I think I like it because now we’re getting to see this whole other layer of Chenford banter. The banter has always been really fun between them, but there has never been this like subtext of history and also hurt, but the flirtation, you know, so I was excited about that.
And also, when we were shooting it, I had a lot of questions, and I think that Lucy has a lot of questions too. I think she’s being a little bit more bold, but she’s testing the waters and seeing, like, “How do you feel? What if I make this joke? Do you like that?” You know, I feel like she’s kind of sticking her head out there a little bit more. It’s nice to see that. Like, okay, yes, they have things to talk about. Yeah, she’s probably hurt, and we don’t feel all the way resolved, but she’s kind of warming up a little bit. If the pain isn’t acute, you know, not as acute as it was. And now she’s able to, kind of, you know, give him a little, throw him little pieces.
Right! Because she gives him this little speech about how it can’t happen again, but then they’re very flirty, so I’m kind of not buying. Where do you fall on that?
No, I feel the same way. I feel like it’s so funny. I remember feeling the same way, like there was so much when we were shooting it. I was like, “What is happening? Like, how does she actually feel?” And when I reflect back on it now like that is that that is a part of the humanness of these moments is this wishy-washy, being like, “I’m never talking to him again. Oh my God, he’s so amazing.” Flip-flopping back and forth, and not being sure, and feeling like “I’ve got to focus, I can’t help it, but like, look at him.” I think I love that. I think it’s very relatable.
I feel like Lucy this year, I relate to. [Laughs] I think it also gives an opportunity for the fans to really come along on that journey. Because even as you’re reflecting in this this moment, you know, you’re just like, “What was that about? I mean, that was nice, but also, like, I don’t get it.” That’s Lucy’s journey as well.
“The Rookie” airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.
